Torchwood Star Says It With Flowers

16th December 2006

'Say It With Flowers' is the story of Leila, a young woman who's lost her way in life. She works in an all-night petrol station close to the Severn Bridge. One day a huge bouquet of flowers is delivered to her doorstep. The surprise reawakens her romantic longing and lust for life. Who is her secret admirer?

The film's central role is brilliantly played by new Welsh star Eve Myles, now playing the lead in the BBC's Torchwood series which is a spin-off from Dr. Who. Eve has strong support from the cast - Bradley Freegard, Steffan Rhodri and John Pierce Jones.

The film script was written by Chelsey King-Simpson, a student at Swansea University where Wyn Mason lectures in screen writing. He saw immediately the talent of this new writer and was determined to get her script to the screen. Together with experienced producer Richard Staniforth of Green Bay, he worked with Chelsey to revise the story and prepare it for Arts Council film lottery support, which it won last year.

The film was shot in stormy weather at the end of October 2004. Happily, the sun shone on location in Chepstow and Llantwit Major. When the skies did open, the crew were working inside - on designer Tom Pearce's wonderful set dressed with a large and impressive collection of flowers from commercial florists based in Bessemer Road Market in Cardiff.

"Wyn Mason was insistent on using a certain palette of colours in the film", said producer Richard Staniforth . "That meant that we needed certain special varieties of flowers - and lots of them. And to show the passage of time in the story, they had to be in every imaginable state from tight new buds to drooping decay. The design team had quite a job on their hands but, with the help of the florists, they came up smelling of roses."

Executive Producer John Geraint said "Green Bay's first cinema piece is a real gem. Film production takes time as well as talent, but 'Say It With Flowers' launches Green Bay into a period where a number of really strong cinema scripts we've developed with writers based here in Wales are ready for the camera to roll."

The charming and captivating short film is to be screened to an invited audience in Cardiff's Chapter Arts Centre to celebrate St Valentine's Day. It will receive a public premiere in Cardiff during the Celtic Film Festival in April.

The film, directed by Wyn Mason, filmed by Ray Orton and produced by Richard Staniforth, was supported by the Arts Council of Wales as part of their short film initiative to develop new writers and directors. The Wales Screen Commission, Barcud Derwen, BBC Wales and Green Bay assisted with the financing of the film which will be broadcast on BBC next year.